Wow. I cannot believe that this was a debut novel. For such a short book, this one sure packs a punch. I wasn't sure at first what to think about it. As I got further and further into the story and the lives of these characters got more and more messy, it was difficult to even keep reading. But I did, and I don't regret it for a second.

The story takes place primarily in the late 70s, although there are flashbacks and entire chapters that take place as far back as the 1950s. It follows the story of the Lee family, and coping with the death of one of their three children. (This is not a spoiler...it's in the synopsis. The first sentence of the book is: 'Lydia is dead.')

This is a story about love, equality, regret, and forgiveness. The parents are really difficult to connect with. Lydia was their favorite child, and it wasn't a secret to anyone in the family. Their relationship with their other two kids was disinterested at best, and neglectful at worst. There is so much dysfunction within the dynamics of this family that it was truly difficult to read, especially as characters continued to make the same terrible choices over and over again. But at the end of the day, it felt authentic.

I also liked the discussion of race in this book. The author is of Chinese descent, and I don't feel like we have many stories with Asian-American protagonists, especially not in that point in time.

If I had to find something to critique, it would be that I was occasionally confused in the structure. There are several characters in this book, and it is told in 3rd person. I don't have a problem with this most of the time, but there were occasions where one paragraph would switch between several of the characters POVs. Also, there were countless flashbacks to different events and conversations, and at times I would be unsure of what point in time I was reading about. Again, this is a relatively nitpicky thing, but I did want to mention it.

This story is at times heartbreaking, at other times infuriating. But I really ended up appreciating it, especially as a mom. I do think that it is an important book to read for any parent. Of course, as a parent we want the absolute best for our kids, but at what point does it become overwhelming?

I will definitely pick up more from Celeste Ng in the future.